The Original Talking Points, a day late: Monta Ellis’ confession (and looks like Perovic is gone)

Odd things happen when I write a billion blog entries and also get around to doing my first edition of the Original Talking Points in more than a month.

Odd things like: I accidentally typed out 11 of them, instead of 10 (did No. 3 twice), nobody caught it (or they did and thought it was me intentionally providing an extra free bonus (it wasn’t), the Points went up looking very strange in the paper, and I was too busy yesterday to post it on this site.

So it’s a day late. Lots of stuff happened yesterday, so it really feels old. Oh well.

Meanwhile… As we’ve been suggesting and hinting, looks like Warriors little-used center Kosta Perovic is in serious negotiations to sign with a Spanish team this season. Or it could be any other team in Europe–I’ve been thinking that Perovic was headed to Europe and away from Don Nelson for a long time now.

I don’t think the Warriors would mind that at all–actually I think they’ve been HOPING for this all summer–because it would free up $1.6M this year that the Warriors can turn over to Shaun Livingston or someone else who could actually be useful. (Also: Don Nelson is not going to play Perovic. Ever.)

That’s if the Warriors do a zero-buy-out of Perovic, which he and his agent might not want. They could be trying to get something out of the $1.6M remaining. Don’t know if the Warriors will do that.

Maybe the Spanish team can trade back a point guard to the East Bay?

–Also, my thoughts on the speculated talks with Indiana about Al Harrington in a deal including Jamaal Tinsley?

I have heard nothing independently on that, one way or the other. But I believe Tinsley’s awful. Just horrendous. I don’t care if Monta Ellis is out for 10 years, the Warriors do not need a point guard like Tinsley, with his contract ($6.7m/$7.2m/$7.5m through 2010-’11). Al has this year and next year on his deal, but he can opt-out this summer. Al’s contract is MUCH better than Tinsley’s.

In fact, I’ll go out and say it: THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN. If I’m wrong, please torch me for it.

There have been and will be tons of trade rumors surrounding Harrington, because Nelson doesn’t want him on the team and because Al wants out. As I keep saying, there’s one key person to all this: Chris Mullin.

And Mullin really, really likes Harrington and isn’t going to give him away just to take back a bad salary and a bad attitude. And that would be Tinsley. So we’ll see.

— THE ORIGINAL TALKING POINTS/

1. Monta Ellis, reportedly admits his wrecked ankle was a non-basketball injury: Let sleeping dogs lie, but not $66-million point guards. They have to stand up and be counted on, or they can limp away and be forgotten.

2. More Ellis: He yearns for stardom and right now he only has scar-dom.

3. Last Ellis: All (or most) will be forgiven if he can make it back to 20-points a game by February. If he can’t, all (or most) might be taken away.

–BONUS 3. Mario Chalmers and Darrell Arthur, tossed out of NBA rookie symposium: What goes on during the rookie symposium… stays on your record for as long as David Stern wants it to.

4. Alex Smith, unlikely to suit up for today’s game vs. Arizona with new shoulder problems: Today’s status is “doubtful.” His future with the 49ers is “questionable.” The coaching staff being more than happy to dump him is “probable.”

5. More Smith: This isn’t the beginning of the end for his 49ers tenure. Closer to the middle of the end, I’d guess.

6. Raiders vs. Denver, Monday night: I’ve got a funny feeling that Darren McFadden will break a 76-yard TD run, jump into the “Black Hole,” then won’t be seen again until Wednesday.

7. More Raiders-Denver: It’s only one game, but I think it’s a gigantic one for Javon Walker (vs. the team that released him) and the Raiders (if Walker can’t focus for this one, when will he?).

8. Washington, denied overtime vs. BYU after excessive celebration penalty in final seconds: Jake Locker was flagged for being happy. Americans have the right to pursue happiness, except after last-minute, almost-game-tying TDs.

9. Novak Djokovic, new bad boy of the U.S. Open: He ripped Andy Roddick after Roddick mocked Djokovic’s injury drama. Yep, reminds me of when Borg and McEnroe… nope, it’s really more like Paris and Nicole.